. . . you cannot stopthe Lenten rose’s pale white blossomsfrom unfurlingnor can you commandthe pink-tinged buds of tulip treesto fold inward.When you choose war, know thatthe grass still greens in spring,the titmouse seeks its “peter-peter,”the black and white cat curls herselfin the dust-moted spill of sun.When war is your choice, prepare yourselffor deep-souled wordsContinueContinue reading “When You Choose War”
Tag Archives: poetry
Thin Place
February 9, 2022 In Celtic Spirituality, there is an understanding that certain places become the meeting ground between heaven and earth, the “holy ground” of Moses before the burning bush. Such spaces are called “thin places” because the division between the holy and the ordinary disappears and the time spent there usually is fleeting. InContinueContinue reading “Thin Place”
The Return Trip
February 2, 2022 Counting Coats “If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn’t have any.”” Luke 3:11 I consider the number of coatsI own. More than two.Seven? Eight? Ten?Not all coats, of course.Some are jacketsa pink fleecea purple raincoat.In the checkout lanethe woman in a wind-thinblue sweaterfumbles with food stampsto pay forContinueContinue reading “The Return Trip”
Wood Walking
Jan. 28, 2022 As the Covid viruses rage and mutate while people the world over tire of wearing masks, rebel against distancing, and refuse to concern themselves with others’ safety, I find myself dismayed by humanity’s loss of the Golden Rule, and I head to the woods. I am not the first to do soContinueContinue reading “Wood Walking”
The Waiting ~ A Poem of Advent
For all who wait in hope for the coming Light. Blessings, Rosemary The Waiting For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Do not fear. I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13 O, Isaiah, ancient prophet of doom, prophet of ancient hope,your proclamations resound like cymbalsjarring thisContinueContinue reading “The Waiting ~ A Poem of Advent”
Darkness into Light: A Poem for Advent
“Light your candles quietly, such candles as you possess, wherever you are.” ~ Fr. Alfred Delp, martyred in Nazi Germany, age 38 As we enter the darkest time of year, my hope and prayer is that each of us will shine the light we have been given, be the light for one another. Blessings toContinueContinue reading “Darkness into Light: A Poem for Advent”
Sacred Cycles
Nov. 17, 2021 I have been extremely fortunate this fall to see so much colorful foliage. Here in the southern states, the leaves typically dry up, turn brown, and tumble away, but this year, perhaps due to all the summer rain, they transformed themselves into muted reds and vibrant yellows. In New Hampshire, the autumnContinueContinue reading “Sacred Cycles”
Creative Community
Nov. 10, 2021 During the fall of 2020, in the midst of the ever-threatening Covid-19 pandemic, I enrolled in an online course with an emphasis on creativity and spirituality, based on Christine Valters Paintner’s book, The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom (https://abbeyofthearts.com/). This course tugged at my heart because after yearsContinueContinue reading “Creative Community”
Packing Bags
October 27, 2021 A most intriguing photo of a little girl, carrying a suitcase while she walks down train tracks, can be found at Istockphoto.com. I do not know who took this photo, but for years I have kept a copy taped to my desk, hoping that one day it will inspire a poem. SoContinueContinue reading “Packing Bags”
The Eyes of Wabi-Sabi
September 1, 2021 I recently was introduced to the Japanese Buddhist tradition of Wabi-sabi. According to Leonard Koren, “Wabi-sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is a beauty of things modest and humble. It is a beauty of things unconventional” (Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets, and Philosophers). Wabi-sabi has an ancientContinueContinue reading “The Eyes of Wabi-Sabi”
